


I Think I Need A Little

by MelanyTheMelon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Short & Sweet, Updates Mondays and Fridays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-06-01 16:49:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15147563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelanyTheMelon/pseuds/MelanyTheMelon
Summary: Simple small talk between you and one of the Crystal Gems leads to late night talks and the occasional venting.





	1. Trágame Tierra

The familiar chime of the seashells you'd hung over the main entrance door reached your ears, making you break your gaze away from the doughnuts you were packing away and instead focus on the potential customer entering the premises.

 

"Hey!" The enthusiastic voice belonging to a curly-haired boy you now considered as a regular exclaimed, a smile appearing on your face as you pushed your glasses up to the bridge of your nose and set the tray of freshly-baked pastries down on the counter, taking off your mittens and wiping your hands over your apron.

 

"Good afternoon!" You greeted, a happy grin present on your face as you welcomed him with the wave of your left hand. "How're things?"

 

The teenager responded by saying he was doing well, afterwards resorting to picking his usual order up and thanking you with a smile, followed by a quick, though friendly goodbye.

 

Once he left the building, you remained alone with your thoughts again. Today was a slow day, and you were anxious for it to be closing time already.

 

Though to most people Mondays were meant to be a stressful day, you looked forward to each one — at least, ever since you met with the purple-skinned woman with the lavender hair and bright gemstone on her chest.

 

You'd become a close acquaintance to her, enough for you to sneak some of the leftover doughnuts and sweets, which you occasionally accompanied by coffee and juice pouches, after closing time marked on the clock you wore on your wrist.

 

There were still five hours until your work shift came to an end, and you were growing impatient.

 

You wanted to confess something to her ever since the last time you met with her. The thought had been drifting through your mind restlessly and, though to others it seemed like a silly and unimportant thing to worry over, it was one of the matters you most found a meaning in.

 

The hours passed on with you attending no more than eight to twelve more customers, the day going by awfully steady and lacking its usual line of sweet tooths and people looking for a quick break in the midst of their hectic, daily lives.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
"There's something I want to ask you." You began, your throat about as dry as the stale pastries you'd thrown at the nearby seagulls an hour before closing time.

 

Tension began to swell over your chest, finding it hard to take in the air outside your workplace.

 

Your breathing hitched, and you found it a challenge to word out the remaining of your thoughts. You fumbled with your watch as your eyes tried to face with the person in front of you, until you finally found the courage to say your thoughts out loud.

 

"I was wondering if. . ." You trailed off, pressing your lips together as a huff exited through them.

 

You were taking too long, and you knew you had to wrap things up soon before you were found out.

 

"I was wondering if we could be friends." You finished, a relieved sigh melting the tension away from your face.

 

"Who're ya talkin' to, _________?"

 

The easygoing voice belonging to the one you'd been looking forward to meet with almost made you jump. Your now sweaty hands turned into fists and you were hesitating on turning around to face her instead of the mirror on your hand.

 

"Didn't know you were the type to need some self pep talk." She teased, well-intentioned laughter leaving her mouth as she proceeded to walk forward and give you a rough smack over your upper back. "Dunno why you're doing it, but keep at it! I'm here if you need someone to cheer you up."

 

It was at that moment that you wished for the concrete grounds below your feet to swallow you whole.


	2. ¿Todo bien?

You felt the back of your neck and ears burn as you came face-to-face with her, your embarrassment over having been caught red handed showing through the lack of confidence in your movements.

 

"Hey. . ." You greeted, raising your (dexterous) hand to greet her. "How're things?"

 

In the spur of the moment, you ended up asking her the same question you asked to Steven each time he came to buy some doughnuts. You could see a small grin form on her face, having noticed how uncomfortable you'd become with being caught, resulting in her ignoring your question and instead head straight to the point you were trying to make.

 

"If it makes you feel any better, I was only here when you said something about being friends." She told, following your slow stride back into your workplace, accompanying you to the storage room, where you usually kept the things you'd share with her during your usual hangouts together.

 

She helped you with the plastic chairs and the folding table, whereas you resorted to picking up two boxes of doughnuts as well as a bag you'd stuffed with cold drinks, minutes before closing time marked on your clock.

 

"I see. . ." You ended up mumbling after a long period of silence, gulping down the tension building up in your throat while your feet led you back outside, your companion still standing next to you, a curious look remaining on her face. "Well, thanks. I- I guess I've been worrying too much about something recently, and I've let it get to my head."

 

You could see her raise one eyebrow in response to your confession, a hint of concern showing through her frown as she placed a hand over your shoulder, making you face with her.

 

"Wanna talk it out, then?" She offered. "I wasn't kidding when I said that."

 

A warm smile became present over your (tone) complexion when hearing her words, her worry allowing for a happy feeling to reside deep in your chest.

 

"It's okay." You assured her, setting down the plastic chairs near the back entrance of The Big Donut while she unfolded the small table in the middle of the two seats.

 

You then placed the pair of doughnut boxes on the center of the table, the only thing left on the floor being the bag filled with various, chilled drinks.

 

"But, what about you?" You added, remembering the recent situation revolving around Steven and him having been absent for some time.

 

You weren't quite sure about what was going on in regards to their lives, but you were still able to sense her worry over the matter back then. And though it'd been quiet some time since that incident, you still made the effort to ask over her and her family's well-being whenever you hung out with her.

 

"Well. . ." She breathed, slumping in her chair as she reached out for one of the canned drinks, wiping the top off with a corner of her shirt and proceeding to opening it.

 

Before taking a sip, she looked back to you with a wistful smile.

 

"I guess somethin's been on my mind recently." She confessed, taking a sip — if not a long gulp — of her drink before setting it back down on the table. "But, if I'm gonna be honest . . . I don't even know why."


	3. Se Busca

The usual week had passed by since you last met up with Amethyst, her absence being most noticed when you looked at your watch and realized thirty minutes had already passed by since closing time.

 

During your wait, you ended up organizing the storage room and emptying the cash register, making sure to count the money thrice to avoid making any mistakes.

 

As time continued to pass on — eventually reaching an hour since closing time — you began to worry, yet you convinced yourself it was finally time for you to wrap things up and leave, seeing as you'd already gone through your usual post-work routine and there wasn't much else to do afterwards.

 

You eventually left the premises, revising your actions to certify you hadn't left anything behind.

 

Worry still resided persistently on the back of your mind, though you tried focusing on heading back home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Halfway through your walk back home, you began to hear some footsteps quickly approaching your side, followed by Steven's voice calling out your name and asking you to stop for a moment. You did as told, your eyes quickly resorting to inspecting the look on his face, wanting to see if he was just as worried as you were, or if he simply came here for a chat.

 

Unfortunately, the latter was immediately discarded from your assumptions. The look on his face was one of bewilderment and panic, his eyes jumping from your figure to everywhere else as he tried to calm the faint trembling in his voice.

 

All-in-all, he seemed on the verge of passing out, his usually happy and determined expression replaced with lamentation and uncertainty.

 

Slowly, he approached your side, composing himself before speaking up.

 

"Have you seen Amethyst?" He asked, his frown being replaced with a straight line. "I haven't seen her since last night, so I figured she'd be back by now, but. . ."

 

He trailed off, letting out the deep breath he'd taken in earlier ago.

 

"But she's not home yet. I'm. . . I'm worried something happened to her!"

 

Wanting to offer the teenager some support, you placed a hand over his shoulder, similar to how the purple woman had done when seeing your gloom. The feeling of your hand making contact with him made him freeze and eventually look up to meet with you, his tense posture loosening when seeing the smile you were offering him, accompanied by an encouraging squeeze and pat.

 

"We'll look for her." You declared, causing him to nod in a rather decisive manner, his usual self resurfacing and matching your own eagerness to learn over Amethyst's well-being.

 

The two of you began your search around Beach City, not once stopping to take in the area around you, the responsibility of finding her before sundown burning on the back of your head as your eyes darted from corner to corner in search for any of the purple woman's distinctive features.

 

You ended up walking together with Steven for what seemed to be centuries, having to stop your search with him due to the late hour and the darkness of your surroundings.


	4. ¿Sucede algo?

You could feel the tightness in your chest and the pressure over the back of your head fade away when spotting the familiar, lavender hairdo belonging to Amethyst.

 

With relief now presenting itself over your body, you began to walk towards her, the few lampposts around barely illuminating the heavy darkness of the night.

 

She was slumped down on one of the benches located near Beach Citywalk Fries, her face looking down at her lap as she fumbled with the ends of her pants, seemingly being lost in her thoughts. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and part of her bangs got in the way of her face, though she didn't seem to mind as she closed her eyes and let out a breath.

 

It seemed she hadn't noticed your presence despite the silence of the night and the soft thumping caused by the rough concrete below your shoes, which led for you to gain her attention with an equally gentle "Hey", not wanting to startle her nor make her feel as if you'd chosen to creep up on her.

 

Now alert, her shoulders rose up before she managed to lift her head to meet with you.

 

"Oh. . ." She mumbled, once recognizing your appearance. "Heya, __________. What's up?"

 

Though you didn't want to come off as intrusive, you remembered just how much Steven had worried over her disappearance — enough for him to go around town for more than six hours straight in search for her, without so much as taking a break to eat anything that could sustain him.

 

Frankly, he'd been worried sick and the fact that the one he relied on — Garnet, as you remembered — refused to tell him what she thought didn't help either. It was as if she had some sort of bad news she wanted to keep to herself — as if she'd predicted something unfortunate would happen soon.

 

Still, it seemed as if those superstitions had been incorrect, since you were now face-to-face with Amethyst and — other than her surprise over having you standing here with her in spite of it being two in the morning — she seemed okay.

 

Or was she, really?

 

"Are you okay?" You asked, refusing to beat around the bush after having sorted and analyzed your thoughts. "You. . . You left without a trace, and we've been looking for you since five pm! Did something happen?"

 

You could see her lips press together into a thin line, a huff leaving the small space between them as she tried not to let a frown show over her face.

 

"Don't worry about it, dude." She shrugged off, standing up from the bench and taking a step forward, as if suddenly wanting to leave the scene. "I was just on a mission, and it took longer than I thought it would."

 

You tried holding back your words when hearing her response, remembering Steven had told you she didn't have any sort of mission assigned this week, and that they were originally going out to the beach to play volleyball. It wasn't your business to meddle as much as you were now, so you knew you were threading on fragile grounds right at this moment.

 

She took your silence as a way for her to say her goodbyes, yet you stopped her when seeing the little pair of bandages stuck on the left side of her abdomen.

 

Without thinking, you grabbed her arm, holding her back as the familiarly warm feeling of embarrassment became present on your ears and neck.


	5. ¡Vayamos a la playa!

"I'm worried about you."

 

Those words had left your lips as quickly as the regret that piled up over the rest of your emotions.

 

You felt yourself grow dizzy with uncertainty and how your palms began to shed a cold sweat.

 

"And. . . I know we're not exactly even friends yet, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

 

Your weak attempt at salvaging your previous choice of words caused for her to raise an eyebrow, quickly followed by a smile tugging on her lips and an honest laugh leaving her vocal chords.

 

"Whaddya mean we're 'not friends yet'?" She laughed again. "We've hung out for months now, but you still think we're strangers?"

 

"Well, something like that. . . Maybe not strangers, but acquaintances." You confessed, a chuckle of your own adding to the quiet and tranquility of the night.

 

You looked down at your feet, unable to face with her after this slightly awkward and slightly dorky scenario you'd managed to create.

 

"That's the thing I was going to ask you last week."

 

Silence fell between you again, until you felt her hand grab your wrist, in an attempt at making you face with her.

 

"You're a real dork, _________." She spoke, a teasing though well-intentioned smile crossing her face as she gently let go of your arm. "Of course I wanna be your friend! What kinda question's that?"

 

Now facing her, you couldn't help smiling, happy to see her do the same – It was a huge contrast compared to the look she carried on her purple complexion before she'd noticed your presence.

 

"I just didn't think you saw me that way."

 

She hummed at your words, placing a hand over her chin as she glanced over towards the sound of the waves crashing in the distance, the ocean almost invisible to your eyes due to the dim lighting of the area.

 

"Wanna go to the beach?" She offered. "We can make it official there, if that'll make you stop fussing over it."

 

"I'm not fuzzing!" You defended, clenching your fists as you stood your ground, glaring at her with as much annoyance as you could muster – a plan which immediately plummeted when seeing her smile again. "I was just. . . anxious, is all."

 

"Well, lets go clear out your mind, then!" She replied. "I'm sure you could use a break from working at that place all day."

 

Sighing, you hesitated for a long moment, aware that you didn't have to work tomorrow but still remembering the state Amethyst been in just a few minutes ago. You feared she could be hiding something, and that she was using this invitation as a distraction to make you forget about her sudden and unexplained disappearance.

 

Even so, you couldn't bring yourself to reject her offer, the thought of going back home to vex over the matter and lose sleep being a weak competition to the thought of spending some time with her and — quite possibly, getting her to open up to you.

 

Having cleared out your indecisive mind, you ended up accepting her invitation. You followed her to the beach at her own pace, taking in your surroundings composed of scarce lighting, night creatures passing by, and the faint sound and scent of the ocean you were progressively getting closer to with each step.


	6. Junto a ti

You sat down with Amethyst, your shoes inches away from coming in contact with the waves crashing against the shore. Your hand reached out for the water, the sand tickling your skin as you closed your eyes, taking in the salty air with a deep breath.

 

"Somethin' on your mind?" The purple Gem asked, her voice sounding distant.

 

You opened your eyes, only to see she wasn't by your side anymore.

 

Looking around, you spotted her standing in the water, her body soaked til her waist and her hair now out of way by making the ponytail higher.

 

"It's nothing." You assured here, not wanting to bring up the subject of her whereabouts again, fearing you would cross a line. "It just feels nice to breathe in fresh air every once in a while."

 

You watched the Gem walk further into the ocean, leaning toward the sand and cupping some in her hands.

 

She turned around afterwards, shaping the sand into a ball.

 

"How many jobs do you have, anyway?" She inquired, raising one eyebrow as she waiting for your response.

 

"Two." You replied, growing wary over the sand-ball she was forming carefully in her hands.

 

"But you're also finishing a degree in college, right?"

 

"Yeah." You nodded, smiling.

 

"How do you even live?" She deadpanned, gaining a chuckle and an honest smile from your part.

 

You stood up from the sand, taking off your shoes and setting them next to the work baggage you carried with you.

 

Not bothering to dust off your clothing, you began to approach her side, mimicking her actions of taking some wet sand and forming it into a ball.

 

"I manage." You admitted. "It gets a little too much sometimes, but it's worth it."

 

The two of you prepared yourselves to engage in a sand-ball fight, your gazes determined as you counted the seconds in your head until it began.

 

"Mainly because I get to meet people like you." You told, your tad too mushy — some would say cheesy — words being enhanced by your grin.

 

With those final words, you threw the ball, laughing as you saw her dodge by transforming into a smaller target.  

 

She smirked at your words, returning back to her original figure and proceeding to throw her own ammo at you, leading you to dodge as quickly as possible while taking some more sand in your hands, readying a few more in order to keep up with her pace.

 

Halfway through forming your second sand-ball, however, you felt something hit your shoulder, the sudden attack making you trip slightly over the waves below your feet.

 

"Got ya!" Amethyst laughed, her proud smile being accompanied by her hands placed firmly over her hips.

 

You watched her bask under her victory for a while, thinking if it would be good to get back at her the minute she grew distracted.

 

And so, you did just that — earning a startled "hey!" from the purple Gem as well as for her to tackle you down carefully on the shallow part of the ocean, your back resting against the sand and water tickling your cheeks as you fought her off in a playful manner.

 

The charade continued on until you both realized how late it was, the exhaustion of a long day and an unexpected sand-ball fight making itself present on your walk back home together.


	7. ¿Quieres quedarte?

Having arrived at the front entrance of your home, you stopped walking, proceeding to look at the purple Gem next to you.

 

Though you were appreciative over her gesture of walking you home, you weren't too fond over the idea of her going back to her own place at this late hour.

 

Sure – You were well aware she was able to care after herself, but you still couldn't shake off your worry. As a result, you ended up calling out her name, gathering her attention before speaking up.

 

"Do you want to stay?" You offered, pointing with your eyes over to your home. "I've got a guest bedroom and a phone – in case you want to call anyone while you're here."

 

She stared at you in silence, taking in the awkward, expectant posture you held all while saying those words. Her eyes then drifted over to your home, a small smile appearing over her face.

 

"Sure." She shrugged. "I don't have anywhere to be tomorrow, anyway."

 

You returned her smile with a nod, making a gesture with your hand for her to follow you inside, all whilst rummaging around your work bag for your keys and finding the keyhole in the middle of the darkness.

 

_Click._

 

Followed by that noise was the uneasy sensation of a room all-too cold for your comfort. Your body shivered involuntarily at the sudden change of temperature, and you could feel the vague discomfort of having an intruder hiding somewhere near you.

 

"Did ya hear that, too?" Amethyst questioned, her guard lifting as she summoned out her whip from the gemstone resting on her chest, unleashing it slowly so as to avoid causing disruption.

 

Not wanting to make any noise yourself, you only chose to nod, later proceeding to walk close to the Gem, attempting to join forces by taking out the pocket knife you often kept with you – in case someone tried to hurt you during one of your walks back home.

 

"Should I go turn on another light?" You whispered, pressing your shoulder carefully against her arm as you brought your lips close to her hearing – trying to avoid the possible risk of raising your voice too much.

 

"Yeah." She agreed, looking up to face with you. "Just be careful, 'kay?"

 

Though you were conscious of the dangerous situation you were currently in, you couldn't help softening your gaze in response to her concern – it showing to be genuine due to the tone of her voice and the way she seemed to inch closer to your side despite having to let you go in a moment.

 

Once you began to walk over to the kitchen, you braced yourself, pocket knife in one hand while your free one searched for the light switch, eyes jumping from corner to corner – as if expecting something to pop up at you anytime soon.

 

_Click._

 

The same noise took over your hearing, the sound intensifying and causing you to snap over to the direction of the noise.

 

_Click._

 

_Clack._

 

_Click._

 

_Clack._

 

The sound was more prominent now and – from the near distance – you could see what appeared to be a cluster of hands slowly approach your side.

 

At that sight, you froze, debating whether or not you were to pull out the knife at them when noticing there laid what appeared to be a corrupted gemstone in the center of their conjoined bodies.

 

Before you could choose either one of those options, however, you witnessed Amethyst run over to their side, cracking her whip at their gemstone and causing for them to turn back into their inactive from. Afterwards, she trapped the being in a bubble, holding it over her hand as she glanced a look to your side.

 

What caught you off guard was seeing her suddenly widen her eyes, the feeling of something crawling over your leg following seconds after.


	8. Una misión importante

Instinctively, you kicked at the cluster of hands clawing persistently at your leg, watching it fly over to the kitchen and land with a loud thud against the refrigerator.

 

Your eyes grew wide with horror, realizing what you'd done when seeing the hand fall unconscious, its physical form disappearing shortly after.

 

"Oh gosh — I'm so sorry!" You exclaimed, running over towards the gemstone laying lifeless on the ground and reaching out for it with your hand. "Did I kill them?!"

 

It took the purple Gem a while to compose herself, though she soon approached your side, her brows furrowed as she knelt down next to you.

 

"Relax, dude." She chuckled, once taking in the gemstone resting on your hand. "It's not cracked or anything — You just poofed it."

 

"R- Really?" You stuttered, trying to take in a breath.

 

She nodded to your question, helping you stand up by offering a hand out to you.

 

Reluctantly, you took her hand, lifting away from the floor and clutching the gemstone tightly in your hand.

 

"What. . . Who are these?" You asked, your expression softening as you looked at the inactive cluster of gems that once took the shape of a hand. "They're Gems, right? What happened to them?"

 

You could see her tense up as she walked over to the living room, sitting down on your couch with a plop. Afterwards, she made the gesture for you to sit next to her, her lips turning into a tight, concerned frown.

 

"They were forced to fuse." She explained, taking the inactive Gem in her hand and following the same actions she'd performed with the previous one.

 

A moment of silence permeated between you as she took a moment to form her next words.

 

"You know Garnet, right?"

 

"Yeah." You nodded. "She's a fusion between a Ruby and a Sapphire, I think."

 

The small smile making itself visible on her face allowed you to know you'd been correct with your assumption, allowing her to continue with what she was planning to say.

 

"Well. . ." She sighed, straightening her posture on the couch as she placed her hands on her knees and looked down at her feet — It took her a minute until she faced up again. "She didn't take it well the last time she saw one of these. So, in a way. . . I'm kinda doing that job for her, since I don't wanna see her like that again."

 

A smile took over your features, unable to brush away the warm feeling that came with having her express those thoughts.

 

"But are you doing this by yourself?" You later asked, your smile now turning into a straight line as you worried over her well-being.

 

"I can handle it." She assured you, grinning. "I mean, you saw how I handled one of those Homeworld Rubies, right?"

 

"I did." You chuckled, your previous smile returning as you faced with her. "You were awesome back there."

 

She returned your laughter and playful words by nudging your shoulder lightly, her expression turning brighter now.

 

That moment, however, lasted only briefly as she turned back to speaking about the previous incident.

 

"I just don't know why they're following me all of a sudden." She muttered, passing a hand through her hair. "I haven't really seen that many of them now, but the few left around are starting to either hide away or chase after me."


	9. ¿Nos vemos mañana?

After the incident with the cluster of hands, you ended up falling asleep at almost four in the morning, with Amethyst sleeping on an inflatable mattress you'd set in the living room – even though you insisted she took your bedroom for the remainder of her stay – and you going to your own bed.

 

"Amethyst?" You called, once arriving at the living room and seeing no one around.

 

"I'm in the kitchen!" She called out, her voice coming from your left.

 

You followed the sound of her voice, coming across the scent of coffee and the sound of sugar being mixed in a ceramic cup.

 

"What's up?" She spoke, catching sight of you from the faint reflection of the kitchen's window and turning her head around to face you.

 

"I though you'd left for a minute there." You chuckled, walking towards her and eyeing the counter where she currently stood at.

 

You could see the coffee maker running, gurgles catching your hearing. In addition to it, a frying pan was out, a pair of buttered bread slices set on top of it.

 

"Why would I do that?" She questioned, looking up to face you, the butter knife she'd been using now being placed on the counter as she took a break from preparing her breakfast. "You invited me over, so the least I could do's wait until you woke up."

 

"Since when were you up?" You asked, curious to now how long it'd been since she was left on her own at your home.

 

"Half an hour ago." She replied, taking a moment to take the toast out of the frying pan and placing them over a paper plate. "But I was plannin' on waking you up to have breakfast, though – Wouldn't want ya to go too long without eating anything."

 

Followed by that statement was her handing you the plate with the pair of toasts she'd prepared – She then handed you over a cup of coffee filled almost to the brim.

 

"Remember what happened that time you didn't eat before your work shift." She remarked, prompting you to take it in your hands.

 

You smiled, taking both the plate and the cup in each of your hands as you walked over to the small dining table set in a corner of the kitchen, placing the items over it and turning back to her afterwards.

 

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

 

"Nah." She shook her head, returning your smile. "I kinda just had some of the leftover doughnuts you left in your fridge."

 

"Figured." You laughed, taking a seat and fixing your angle to make eye contact with her. "You can take anything you want from there – I don't really spend much time at home, so. . ."

 

"You have to take better care of yourself, (Y/N)." She intervened, not bothering to take in your offer as a frown took over her face.  "You almost passed out back then."

 

Before you could say anything in protest, she approached your side, placing a hand over your head and giving you a friendly pat.

 

"I gotta go, now." She added, leading you to gulp the recent sip of coffee you'd taken and place the remaining toast back on the paper plate, wanting to have a final word with her before she left off. "Thanks for everything, dude!"

 

As you watched her leave with the quick wave of her hand, you stopped her by calling out her name, standing up from your seat as you took a step forward – your worry resurfacing as you thought on the possibility of her disappearing again.

 

"See you tomorrow?" You asked, waiting anxiously for her response.

 

She looked over her shoulder, a hint of a playful grin tugging at her lips as she nodded her head before leaving again.

 

"See ya tomorrow, (Y/N)."


	10. ¡Vamos!

Worriedly, you fumbled with the napkin you were holding, ten minutes having passed since the time the purple Gem told you it would take her to get there.

 

Though you were aware of her calm, perhaps laid-back character, the day before yesterday’s events had left you an anxious mess. You couldn’t stop thinking about scenarios similar to that one happening to her right at this moment.

 

_Rip._

You were snapped out of your thoughts by a ripping noise, looking down to see you’d torn the napkin in half with how much you’d toyed around with it. Heaving out a breath to seek some calm, you looked at your watch again, noticing a few more minutes had gone by without her presence.

 

Not wanting to waste time any longer by worrying, you distracted yourself by going to the storage room to count the inventory, checking off what the store had enough of and which items needed to be replenished.

 

It wasn’t until you were halfway into marking things down that you heard the familiar chime of seashells, leading you to scramble out of the storage room, notebook being left abandoned on the floor while your eyes sparked with relief when seeing her behind the counter. She was on her usual mood today, the difference being her attention was focused on Steven, who stood next to her – engaged in their own conversation.

 

Thinking it would be best to wait for them to finish, you were about to wipe the counter when your name surged in the middle of their conversation.

 

“(Y/N)!” Steven called, holding a hand out for a high-five. “Thanks for helping us out.” He continued, once you returned his gesture with caution, unsure of just how much strength to use in spite of him being a Gem.

 

You glanced at Amethyst when hearing those words, regarding her with a look you hoped she would understand. In response, her lips turned into a tight line and her eyebrows furrowed, uncertainty replacing her usual expression.

 

It was at that moment you realized she hadn’t yet told Steven about the missions she was going on, and – for a moment – you debated whether or not it would be good to tell him about it.

 

Yet, you soon remembered the look she carried the moment you both sat down on your couch – the way her doubts showed through the masked tremble of her voice and the brief periods of tension emanating from her body.

 

“It’s nothing.” You dismissed, offering him a gentle smile. “It was already late, so it’s the least I could do.”

 

“Still, thanks, (Y/N)!” Amethyst chimed in, her gratitude over not letting that out yet showing through the tone of her voice. “Your place’s the best place I’ve ever crashed in – aside from Vidalia’s.”

 

Nodding at her words, you gave each of them a doughnut on the house before going on break to have a quick talk with them, avoiding Amethyst’s topic by asking Steven how his own missions had gone and what he had planned for his next day off.

 

“I was thinking we could go out of Beach City for a few days.” The boy told, smiling towards you as he offered you one of the durian juice pouches he was about to drink. “Dad’s been wanting to take us somewhere before our next mission, so I figured I’d invite you!”

 

“Thank you, Steven.” You spoke, returning his smile as you thanked him for both the juice box and his invitation. “I would love to go.”

 

Seconds after you said those words, the purple Gem trapped you in a bear hug, making you fall on your rear due to her strength.

 

“It’s a full house now!” She cheered, snatching the durian juice from your hands. “This is gonna be great!”

 

“Hey!” You laughed, throwing yourself over her in attempt at reaching out for the box she’d stolen from you. “Give that back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are back! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and feel free to let me know if there's anything you feel could be improved. :-)


	11. El mañana

You took in a sharp breath, trying not to let your professor’s words get to you.

 

“I understand that you might want a break with all the stress you might be on, but don’t you think you can find better company than those Crystal Gems?”

 

“Sir, as much as I respect your concern for me, I don’t think you’re being reasonable right now.” You replied, trying your best to control the irritation in your voice as you held onto your textbook tighter, releasing your anger through it. “They are good people – You’d be able to see it if you just gave them a chance.”

 

Sighing, he placed a hand over his forehead, rubbing the creases away before straightening his posture on his seat. He shuffled some papers neatly into place and put some stray pens and pencils back in the desk’s drawer, looking back towards you shortly after closing it.

 

“Alright.” He huffed. “I will trust you will be on your best behaviour while on your outing with them – Please, do not let them pressure you into anything, and make sure to stray away from alcohol.”

 

“Thank you, sir!” You exclaimed, a smile replacing your earlier frown as you held back the sudden urge to squeeze him into a hug. “I’ll be sure to stay up-to-date as soon as I’m back.”

 

With those final words, you said your goodbyes, exiting through the door with a breath being held back.

 

Once you were out on campus, you let it out, tension being released from your body. You then waved at some of your classmates, engaging in some small talk with them and asking them if you could borrow their notes when you returned from your three-day outing with Steven, his father, and the Crystal Gems.

 

You were shaking from both the nerve-wracking experience of confronting your last professor and the anxiety of having to prepare for a vacation with people you were still just getting acquainted with – aside from Steven and Amethyst. For that reason, you tried to distract your thoughts by giving Jamie a call – the mailman you’d befriended on one of the days you’d gone over to Steven’s house. He was a friendly and outgoing person, his deep love for theater permitting you to become fast friends with him.

 

“Hey.”  You called, fumbling with the border of your shirt and using your other hand to hold the device against you ear. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

 

There was a moment of silence before his voice could be heard from the other line.

 

“Sure!” He replied, his enthusiastic voice leading you to smile. “Something happen, (Y/N)?”

 

“It’s. . .” You trailed off, letting out an awkward chuckle when losing your thread of thought due to the worries continuing to take over the rest of your mind. “It’s nothing big – It’s. . . silly, actually. I just wanted to talk with you for a while to forget about it.

 

Although you had a few close friends in campus, you didn’t exactly feel comfortable enough with their presence yet to talk with them about something like this, so you resorted to the next best thing – using a phone to call the mailman.

 

“It’s fine.” He assured you, his gentle voice letting you imagine he could be smiling right now. “You can tell me – no matter how silly you think it is!”


	12. ¿Te apuntas?

You arrived at the front of Steven’s house, unsure whether it was okay for you to knock at his door.

 

Greg’s van was parked neatly near the home’s mailbox. From afar, you could see a pair of Gems -- one green and one blue -- walking along the border of the beach. They were busy talking with themselves, their personalities when doing so leading you to assume these were Lapis and Peridot.

 

Deciding it was best not to interrupt them for the time being, you knocked on the door three times, hearing a response from Pearl moments after. The door was carefully pulled open after a few seconds, her gaze greeting you with a welcoming smile.

 

“Come in, (Y/n)!” Pearl spoke, ushering for you to pass through the open space left next to her. “We did not expect to see you this early.”

 

“Is it a bad time, or. . .”

 

You trailed off on your words when seeing her dismiss that thought with the soft shake of her head.

 

“It isn’t,” she assured you, clapping her hands together. “The opposite, in fact! I was hoping you could help us with something before we go on our trip.”

 

“Sure,” you replied, smiling at her. “What’s up?”

 

The pale Gem explained to you how, for the few days this vacation lasted, Steven planned to assign a day for two people and divide it into what the pair wanted to do. So far, she had told you how he was paired with his father, whereas she and Garnet had chosen each other.

 

“Amethyst told us she wanted to spend it with you, but we were not sure if you wanted to participate in this,” she clarified, sitting next to you on the couch set close to the stairs leading to Steven’s bedroom.

 

Carefully, she laid out a map over both your lap and hers, explaining to you the routes she would be taking with Garnet as well as those Greg would be going to with his son. She went over what would be done during those two days and at what time those events would take place in.

 

“What do you say, (Y/n)?” Pearl inquired, a gentle -- if not enthusiastic look on her face. “Would you like to pair with Amethyst for setting up day three?”

 

You thought over her words for a moment, the idea of spending time planning a trip along with Amethyst’s company almost making you suppress a smile. Though you were reluctant to admit it, the purple Gem was fun to be around with, and -- each day -- you were looking forward more and more to spending time with her.

 

Growing self-conscious for a spare second, you cleared your throat and straightened your posture on the couch, facing Pearl with a sheepish smile.

 

“That would be nice,” you replied, facing with her as a sudden thought crossed your mind. “Where is she, anyway?”

 

“She was sleeping until recently,” she spoke, a stifled laugh leaving her lips. “But she woke up suddenly when Steven reminded her of our trip -- She must be getting ready now, if I’m not mistaken.”

 

You chuckled when imagining that scenario yourself, moving on to facing the map again after conversing with her for a while.

 

The two of you eventually lost track of time talking, having reached a topic you were both fond of -- talking about moments you shared with the purple Gem and how her warm, easygoing personality made her pleasant to be around with.


	13. La mañana

The time to part from Steven’s home finally marked itself on the clock.

 

Everyone was busy making sure everything was set before they left.

 

Garnet helped Greg with the remaining of the luggage, setting it neatly apart on a corner of the van. Pearl, on the other hand, was busy explaining to Peridot and Lapis what had to be done to maintain the house in decent shape while everyone was out.

 

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go with us, guys?” Steven asked, directing his words at the two Gems who were to be left in charge of watching his home while he was out. “We can always lock the door and clean up when we’re back!”

 

“It’s okay. . .” Lapis mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away from him, mouth tugging into a frown. “I’m not really. . . ready to leave this place yet.”

 

“And I’m not about to let her be all alone!” Peridot chimed in, a proud grin taking over her green complexion as she placed her hands on her waist. “You can count on us -- We’ll take care of everything while you’re out!”

 

The boy smiled at the Gem’s enthusiastic response, nodding his head as he then turned his attention to you.

 

“Wanna go help Amethyst with the map?” Steven offered. “I can take care of the rest from here -- so you can go set things up with her and stuff!”

 

“Thank you, Steven,” you spoke, returning the smile he directed at you. “I guess I’ll go, then. Just let me know if you need any help, alright?”

 

He assented to your words, gesturing you made the purple Gem some company afterwards. It wasn’t until you were halfway into reaching her side that he stopped looking out for you, the sight of him wanting to make sure you arrived there causing for your smile to widen.

 

“Hey,” you called out, capturing Amethyst’s attention, who was busy furrowing her gaze at the map spread over her lap, a few patches of sand covering her thighs as she shifted in her seat on the sand.

 

She looked up at you with a smile, patting at the space left next to her for you to join her in her observation. You accepted the invitation and took a seat, glancing a quick look at the marks she’d made over the map.

 

“Whaddya think?” She asked, directing a small smirk to your side. “I already marked a few places that look cool to visit.”

 

You paid better attention to the marks now, noticing circled locations such as a lake, a line of food trucks, and a CD and DVD store.

 

The last one was the most to capture your intrigue, the idea of her being interested in either films or music making you wonder over what were her reasons for wanting to visit there.

 

“Looks good,” you replied with a grin, choosing not to bring up that topic for the time being. “Any other places you have in mind?”

 

The purple Gem faced you with a confident smile of her own, gently pushing over the map to your side and winking at you.

 

“I was thinking you could choose from here.”

 

You returned her playful gesture by nudging her lightly on the side, thanking her and taking the map in your hands. Slowly, your eyes scanned each possible location you could visit with her and the others, arriving to a stop when noticing an instrument store.


	14. ¿Cansada?

The six of you arrived late at night, the long road to reach the hotel as well as the occasional stops that had to be taken to get there causing for over seven hours to go by in the blink of an eye.

 

Now, you were waiting for Pearl to finish parking Greg's van in order for you and the rest of the people inside it to get down from it. Steven had fallen asleep on Garnet's lap while Amethyst was close to dozing off herself.

 

"Hey," you called out softly, preventing her from falling asleep. "We're almost there."

 

She shook her head lightly before rubbing the sleep away from her eyes and letting a yawn break free from her lips. Her hair was a ruffled mess from the sudden jerk forward she gave when snapping back to consciousness, leading you to hold back a smile as you motioned for her to come closer.

 

Once she scooted close to your side, you helped her by tying her hair in a ponytail, using the scrunchie she'd left decorating her wrist.

 

"Thanks, dude." She laughed, patting your shoulder as she stood up from her seat on the floor, moving on to explore her surroundings with her sight.

 

You followed her gaze and noticed Greg on the front passenger seat, eyes closed as he leaned his head against the edge of the door.

 

Pearl had taken charge of looking for parking while the man obtained some rest, her eyes focused on the road and watching out for any cars crossing her path. Garnet and Steven were still in a deep sleep, the sudden realization that you and Amethyst had been the ones to last the entirety of the ride awake falling upon you.

 

The two you had lost count of how much time had passed with you planning your day together. You'd both been just as enthusiastic when it came to preparing for it, though you couldn't help worrying that she could've perhaps needed that rest. You were aware Gems didn't exactly need sleep, but you did notice they seemed more lively whenever they did.

 

All previous apologies for keeping her up were discarded when having her smile at you. She soon offered a hand out to you, helping you stand up from the floor as you both continued to take in your surroundings.

 

From outside the vehicle you were currently now standing in, you could see people walking in groups and pairs, engaged in animated conversations with themselves. Some laughed while others only smiled, the occasional, playful bumping of hips whenever someone told a joke making you smile.

 

Further out into the parking lot, you were able to catch a glimpse of the lake Amethyst had circled over the map, the waters sparkling faintly with the glow of the moonlight shining above it. A few lampposts helped with maintaining the road in front illuminated, along with the few stars present in the sky.

 

"We're here," Pearl spoke, her tone loud, yet at the same time gentle enough so as to avoid startling those who were still asleep.

 

Little by little, everyone around you began to wake up, Greg muttering half-hearted protests under his breath while Garnet managed to snap quickly into action, being careful when standing up in order to prevent the boy resting his head on her lap from having a rude awakening.

 

You'd finally arrived at your destination, the melancholic feelings of a new beginning tugging at your emotions despite how late it was and how tired you felt.


End file.
